said as he walked back to the dining room rubbing his face and limping slightly.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Everyone in the dining room had heard Justine scream and the talking had stopped. They’d heard the sound of the slap so they weren’t surprised when Ben walked in with a red hand print clearly visible on his cheek.
Joseph was the first to respond. “Damn it son, I warned ya about hurtin’ that little gal” he said angrily. Both Joseph and Josh stood up from the table to go after Justine.
“Sit down both of ya!” Ben shouted. It was so unusual to hear Ben shout and see him angry that both men immediately sat back down. “I didn’t hurt her; I’m the one hurtin’. She kicked me in the shin and slapped my damn face”
Laura, Kate, Jenny and Rebecca giggled at Ben’s outrage.
“Well what did ya do son that made her do that?” Virginia asked.
“I tried to kiss her ma! I really love that little gal!” Ben announced and everyone’s mouths fell open in shock. “I’m gonna go and find her and try and talk some sense into her beautiful, ornery, stubborn little head!”
Ben turned on his heels and stormed from the room.
“Well, well. My brother looks like he’s finally been caught and is in danger of bein’ thrown back!” Laura commented.
“I cain’t believe he just said he’s in love ; I ain’t never thought I’d hear that from him” George said in amazement.
“Me neither. What happened to him sayin’ he was never gonna settle down ‘cause he was havin’ too much fun?” James asked.
“He’s gonna have a hard time convincin’ our little gal; she don’t think she’s good enough for anyone to fall in love with. She’s convinced no-one is ever gonna want her. I sure hope he don’t get his heart broken” Josh mused.
“It’s real obvious his charms don’t work on her so he’s gonna have to be real convincin ’ I reckon” Joseph added.
********
Ben stormed outside and slammed the door. He stood on the porch with his hands on his hips and looked around while he tried to calm down.
“Barn; Boss” Ky told Ben as he walked past with his saddled horse.
“Thanks” Ben muttered as he strode off the porch and in the direction of the barn.
When he reached the barn door he saw Justine with her head buried in Dancer’s neck. She was patting the horse and sobbing so much that her body shook violently. Ben thought it was probably partly from cold too as she’d run out without a coat. Ben leaned against the door frame and watched for a moment.
As he began to move towards her; Justine began to talk to his horse and he stopped. “What am I gonna do Dancer? I love him so much and I know he could never love me. He needs a pretty girl he can be proud of not an ugly one that he wouldn’t wanna be seen with”
She rested her head back against Dancer and began crying so hard it was breaking Ben’s heart. He quietly walked forward until he stood behind her; Justine hadn’t heard a thing with all her crying.
Ben peeled her away from Dancer and into his arms. “Hey beautiful girl” he said gently as she sobbed into his chest.
“I’m sorry Ben” she cried.
Ben tilted her head back and looked into her tear filled eyes. “Can we try this again without the kick to the shin and the slap in the face?” Ben asked and he was rewarded with a weak smile. “I love ya Justine; I’ve loved ya since I first saw ya in ma’s kitchen. It just took me a while to realise it ‘cause I ain’t never been in love before”
“You cain’t love someone like me Ben. It ain’t fair for ya to be stuck with someone so ugly” Ben scowled and Justine swallowed hard.
“Justine you’re a beautiful gal and ya always will be to me. I fell in love with all of ya and I want ya to be my wife”
Justine’s eyes widened in disbelief at what she’d heard. “Ya wife?”
“Yes my wife; I’m gonna keep houndin’ ya until ya agree”
Justine’s heart missed a beat; she couldn’t believe Ben could love her.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Everyone in the dining room had heard Justine scream and the talking had stopped. They’d heard the sound of the slap so they weren’t surprised when Ben walked in with a red hand print clearly visible on his cheek.
Joseph was the first to respond. “Damn it son, I warned ya about hurtin’ that little gal” he said angrily. Both Joseph and Josh stood up from the table to go after Justine.
“Sit down both of ya!” Ben shouted. It was so unusual to hear Ben shout and see him angry that both men immediately sat back down. “I didn’t hurt her; I’m the one hurtin’. She kicked me in the shin and slapped my damn face”
Laura, Kate, Jenny and Rebecca giggled at Ben’s outrage.
“Well what did ya do son that made her do that?” Virginia asked.
“I tried to kiss her ma! I really love that little gal!” Ben announced and everyone’s mouths fell open in shock. “I’m gonna go and find her and try and talk some sense into her beautiful, ornery, stubborn little head!”
Ben turned on his heels and stormed from the room.
“Well, well. My brother looks like he’s finally been caught and is in danger of bein’ thrown back!” Laura commented.
“I cain’t believe he just said he’s in love ; I ain’t never thought I’d hear that from him” George said in amazement.
“Me neither. What happened to him sayin’ he was never gonna settle down ‘cause he was havin’ too much fun?” James asked.
“He’s gonna have a hard time convincin’ our little gal; she don’t think she’s good enough for anyone to fall in love with. She’s convinced no-one is ever gonna want her. I sure hope he don’t get his heart broken” Josh mused.
“It’s real obvious his charms don’t work on her so he’s gonna have to be real convincin ’ I reckon” Joseph added.
********
Ben stormed outside and slammed the door. He stood on the porch with his hands on his hips and looked around while he tried to calm down.
“Barn; Boss” Ky told Ben as he walked past with his saddled horse.
“Thanks” Ben muttered as he strode off the porch and in the direction of the barn.
When he reached the barn door he saw Justine with her head buried in Dancer’s neck. She was patting the horse and sobbing so much that her body shook violently. Ben thought it was probably partly from cold too as she’d run out without a coat. Ben leaned against the door frame and watched for a moment.
As he began to move towards her; Justine began to talk to his horse and he stopped. “What am I gonna do Dancer? I love him so much and I know he could never love me. He needs a pretty girl he can be proud of not an ugly one that he wouldn’t wanna be seen with”
She rested her head back against Dancer and began crying so hard it was breaking Ben’s heart. He quietly walked forward until he stood behind her; Justine hadn’t heard a thing with all her crying.
Ben peeled her away from Dancer and into his arms. “Hey beautiful girl” he said gently as she sobbed into his chest.
“I’m sorry Ben” she cried.
Ben tilted her head back and looked into her tear filled eyes. “Can we try this again without the kick to the shin and the slap in the face?” Ben asked and he was rewarded with a weak smile. “I love ya Justine; I’ve loved ya since I first saw ya in ma’s kitchen. It just took me a while to realise it ‘cause I ain’t never been in love before”
“You cain’t love someone like me Ben. It ain’t fair for ya to be stuck with someone so ugly” Ben scowled and Justine swallowed hard.
“Justine you’re a beautiful gal and ya always will be to me. I fell in love with all of ya and I want ya to be my wife”
Justine’s eyes widened in disbelief at what she’d heard. “Ya wife?”
“Yes my wife; I’m gonna keep houndin’ ya until ya agree”
Justine’s heart missed a beat; she couldn’t believe Ben could love her.
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